African Harrier Hawk hunting behaviour (1 Viewer)

Saw the most amazing example of this birds hunting technique yesterday on a game drive in the Hluhluwe game reserve in KwZulu Natal. We were watching weavers make their nests when in flew the hawk. It was hanging from the nests trying to claw the chicks out. It has specialy jointed legs to enable it to do this. It was being mobbed from above by the weavers and from below by a pair of hammerkops who had their nest in the tree as well. In the end it managed to pull a chick from a nest and flew off.

Amazingly a few minutes later it flew back into sight seemingly encouraging a juvinile (very rocky flight technique on the juviniles part) to follow her flight pattern by staying just in front of it dangling the dead chick from one claw.

They are strange looking birds aren't they. You are very lucky to witness that behaviour, its such a thrill to catch a raptor doing just what the book says they do. So often you just see them soaring in the distance or perched on a post.
There was a sequence of photos in the june/july issue of africa birds and birding that showed beautifully just how this bird hunts.

are these the same birds as gymnogenes?

Yes, the old name change thing strikes again!!